The world premiere of two new gaming cabinets will be announced at G2E Las Vegas 2019 as Zitro unveils both Allure and Illusion as part of its hugely successful Bryke video slots line. G3 interviews Zitro’s Johnny Ortiz about the importance of cabinet design in modern gaming operations

Allure will be the first cabinet to make its debut in Las Vegas, incorporating three 27-inch Full HD screens, as well as a state-of-the-art SmartDeck digital button panel. Illusion features a massive 43-inch Ultra HD curved monitor and a 21.5-inch digital topper, as well as the ‘SmartDeck’ digital button panel.

Why choose the G2E Vegas show to launch your newest cabinet range?

G2E Las Vegas is one of the most important trade shows of the gaming industry in the world. It is a moment and place where a big chunk of international decision-makers come together. At Zitro we launch new products at every major event, and this year’s G2E could not be less.

We are a young company, but have already launched products that have changed the industry, placing us as number one performers in venues with smash hits such as Link King, Link Me or Link Shock from our Bryke Video Slot product range. Not to mention the Video Bingo games and products, a segment where Zitro has been the world leader in the last several years. To continue with our expansion plans and improve our privileged position, we need to keep up with the innovations.

Zitro is launching two new cabinets in October. Why create two different cabinet designs? Are Allure and Illusion designed to appeal to different players?

Our Bryke Video Slot library has become so popular, and has grown so much, that we had to supply cabinet alternatives to the operators, to make sure that our product provides the desired, and necessary, variety in the casino landscape. On the other hand, the new cabinets, Allure and Illusion, are designed to attract different type of players, as the gaming experience each one provides is very unique.

Has the inclusion of three screens for the Allure cabinet and a giant 43ins. screen for the Illusion cabinet meant the creation of specially designed games for these formats?

Yes, of course! 88 Link Lucky Charms, 88 Link Wild Duels and 88 Link Shock, on Allure, as well as Bashiba on Illusion have been designed and programed with the specific hardware in mind. This was very important to us in the initial creation phase as we wanted the games to be outstanding, not only from math model point of view, but also from a graphical point of view. Players love to get immersed in a game and that can only happen if both hardware and software are in perfect harmony.

The new Allure cabinet features SynchroScreens technology – could you explain the inclusion and functionality of this multimedia system?

The upper screens of the 3x 27ins. Full HD screens on Allure sync up on a bank level, creating an impressive visual spectacle that is comparable to the aesthetics and functionality of cost-intensive overhead signage, with the extra bonus that it’s part of each single game! This is a very exciting feature that we are sure both players and operators will love!

How does Zitro ensure that its cabinets are immediately recognisable as Zitro gaming machines?

What all of our games and products have in common, is that they are 100 per cent made in house, and therefore all have what we like to call the “magic of Zitro.” Players around the world have seen and played our superstars such as Link King, Link Me and Link Shock, and recognise that the Link Bonus of these new games, or the mystery Shock prize in the case of 88 Link Shock, are based on the original games that have made them so popular.

How much consideration is given to the ergonomics of the cabinets and what example of ergonomic design in the Allure and Illusion would you highlight?

Ergonomics is crucial when designing a cabinet as it is essential for the comfort of the player, which directly affects the playing-time on a device. All of our cabinets have been designed with an extra-large leg space, so that players can sit relaxed at our machines, and also with an extra broad button deck to rest hands and arms, as well as placing any important items on it such as a mobile device or a beverage.

The screens are also fundamental to ergonomics and Allure as well as Illusion create an extra wide space for graphics as well as the jackpot meters, that often sit well above the player’s eye-sight, which players can now view all at one glance from the comfort of their chair.

In addition to these player oriented features, our range of cabinets all have an ultra-slim design, occupying less space on the casino floor than any other gaming machine, allowing for a more efficient use of the space, while at the same time providing more space to the player.

Do SmartDecks give enough tactical feedback to the players – and what are the advantages of using this system over traditional buttons?

Technology is very advanced in this sense, and, more importantly, the players nowadays are extremely used to touch screens. Who doesn’t have a smart phone or a tablet using touch technology? Our SmartDeck not only allows the creation of a super-sleek design, but as it’s completely configurable, we can make the buttons look as we want to, and more importantly, adapt credits and lines instantly to the chosen game.

What flexibility does this three cabinet range give to Zitro when dealing with customers?

Operators have the need for their venue to look attractive to players, and one important aspect is the form factor of the cabinets. By providing various types of cabinets and different looking devices, operators can more easily choose more of our games and still provide the desired variety in their venues. On the other hand, the cabinets have obviously different costs, which provides us with more flexibility to make the perfect offer to our customers.

How has the sound design of the new cabinets been enhanced to match the visual performance of the new screens?

Sound at Zitro has always been a super important aspect of our games. We create our sound in-house by a team of award winning musicians that design sounds for each game, obsessed by details. That is, however, only half of the success story. The other half relies on the hardware we use in the cabinet, and all of our cabinets have cutting edge speakers, ultra-powerful subwoofers as well as high quality digital sound systems integrated in the cabinets and – all tested by the same musicians that create our sounds.

How does the new range of Allure games, including 88 Link Lucky Charms, 88 Link Wild Duels and 88 Link Shock, differ from those we see on the original Bryke Fusion cabinet?

Apart, obviously, from the hardware aspect we have already covered, all these games have something that no one ever before has provided. That is the combination of our extremely successful ‘Bonus Link’, based on the industry changer Link King, with the hugely popular multiway game mechanic. 88 link Shock, in addition, has the mystery Shock prize, that enables operators to link various ‘Shock’ banks to one single mystery prize. This is a worldwide debut we are presenting, and we believe that others will be inspired by this idea.

Bashiba Link is launching on the Illusion cabinet – how have the Zitro designers combined 243 ways and Link Bonus (inspired by Link King), into a multi-game experience? What are your expectations for this new title?

What apparently seemed simple, combining 243 ways and our Link Bonus, turned out to be a very complex execution on a product creation level. We have been working on this for a long time, but we could not be happier about the results and we are convinced that it will not only create the same hype as previous Bryke products, but will also resonate so much with the players that soon it will become an industry standard.